Handwritten

Gaslight Anthem

Handwritten

I have to just mention that the more I listen to this album, the more I fall in love with it. Gaslight Anthem have really created something great here. Take a listen to the first couple of singles and judge for yourself. 

Regret

I take it all back.  Band of Horses, you are awful now, and have been since Everything All the Time.  I've tried to keep up with you--lord knows "Knock Knock" had me quivering like an idiot for several weeks--but I've given up.  You're weirdly sleek and cliched now, and I'm glad I can't afford to see you.

Circa 1998

Urbane Cowboys
One of the best things I've read in a long, long time. John Molinaro's Masters thesis from 1998 discusses the connection between Country music, Americana, Punk, and everything in between.  What could be boring or accusatory is instead a fascinating read that never strays into pretension.  This may have been around for fourteen years already, but it's still relevant--and wonderfully written.

Ride On

 

The Smashing Pumpkins-- Oceania

I am shockingly not as disappointed in Oceania as I thought I'd be.  The first track ("Quasar") is six kinds of grungy, dirty 90's-style Pumpkins rock--stupid lyrics included.  And I liked it--quite a bit in fact.  But there are only one or two other songs I could get behind, and the album as a whole was quickly overwhelmed by Billy Corgan's lyrical pretension and whiny love songs. It's still better than Zeitgeist, though--and Machina for that matter.  

(But I'd like to add that I'm kinda creeped out by the new line-up's physical resemblance to the band circa 1995.)